At the grand entrance of the Imperial Palace, Emris and Conan, who sat in her arms, were met with a group of staff members dressed in neat uniforms compared to the sloppy, wrinkled ones of before. They bow, displaying respect to the person of higher status.
"Welcome to the Imperial Palace, Lady Emris Fallow. We will diligently serve you during your peruse of the Imperial Library. I am Laurence, the new head butler entrusted with overseeing the staff and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Palace." A man with silver hair of old age and a voice of professionalism steps forward, his hand over his chest while bowing deeply.
Emris scrutinized Laurence, her eyes scanning for any hint of flaw resembling the last butler who'd abused his power and hurt the staff.
The staff doesn't look uncomfortable; actually, compared to the last time I saw them, their complexions and actions are more at ease this time around. Luckily, Mister Stephen kept his promise and chose a better head butler; I'm relieved then.
"Thank you, Mr. Laurence; I am in your capable hands." She softened her guarded expression, giving Laurence the benefit of the doubt.
Unsure of whether Emris would accept him as he had heard about what had happened with the previous butler, his unease drifted away as sand swept into the waves when Emris gave him a warm thanks.
"Allow me to escort you to the Library, My Lady."
With a graceful stride, Laurence led the way through the Main Palace to the Library. As they passed beneath the gentle glow of the chandeliers, Emris couldn't help but notice the change in atmosphere. From cold and dreary during that cold night, it had changed since her last visit to a warm scenery as if flickers of soft heat grazed her skin.
Laurence must have put his all into changing the vibe of the Palace. All in a week, the heightened empty isolation that crept into its walls dissipated, and in its place, the cozy enclosed feeling of a cottage. Mister Stephen found someone very capable of caring for the Palace; I can tell that Laurence is a good person.
"His Majesty, the Grand Emperor has allowed access to every parchment and record at disposal. Have you any questions, My Lady, please ring the bell to your left. Whatever it is you need, we will bring it for you immediately." Laurence gestured his hand to the bell.
"Thank you again, Mr. Laurence. Before you leave, I'd like to ask if you could bring me anything regarding the history of the Riphulon Empire." Emris asked, the glint of determination emanating from her expression. Her gemstone eyes capture the light of the roaring fire.
Knowing the extent of the Library's information, Laurence could imagine the amount of books and records pertaining to the vast topic of the Empire's history. He faltered momentarily but kept his composure and bowed his head to Emris, complying with her request.
"As you wish, My Lady."
***
A large stack of records and a separate pile of books were dropped on the desk in front of her, covering the light beaming from the fireplace. The thud of books and papers startled her and Conan.
"This is everything pertaining to the Empire's history?" Laurence patted his temples with a white handkerchief, uncertain what Emris had expected. "My Lady, pardon me for my abrupt speech, but are you… really going to read all this?"
I'd be lying if I said that I didn't know it would be this much, but something popped into my head while reading the book Verra lent me. The pages of the book are only brief information similar to common knowledge of the people of the Empire, but if I'm going to save this place, what I need is not simple information that everyone knows.
I need to step up my game, and to do that; I have to amplify my power. If only I could speak with Verra again, I would ask her why she gave me a book that is just like any other; I would also ask why she left me so defenseless in a place she knows is not my home. I want to know, but I can't, and that's what frustrates me the most.
The only thing I can do is rely on my capabilities and Conan's guidance, but will that be enough? Will I be able to go home?
"…My Lady? You look pale; are you perhaps feeling hungry?" Laurence intervened, his gray eyes resembling clouds peering over the stack of papers concealing Emris.
"As a matter of fact, I am feeling in the mood for a sandwich. Would you please bring me one?" Emris asked politely. She organized the pile of papers, neatly stacking them by grabbing a handful and tapping them against the desk to straighten them.
"Of course, My Lady. Please excuse me while I head to the kitchen."
Emris thanked Laurence, watching and waving as he walked out the door with a slight grin as a parting.
"Finally, I was getting tired of sitting in your shaking lap." The blinding puff of smoke engulfed the area around the desk.
Emris coughed, waving away the draft air that polluted her space. "Cough, Cough! Are you ki-kidding me…Conan!?"
While Emris was busy ridding his smothering toxic air out of her lungs, he grabbed the even split half of the papers Emris organized and sat beneath the desk, hiding himself.
"Stop complaining; you're acting so delicate over nothing. You would think after a while of transforming, you would be used to the smoke at this point." He clicked his tongue, shuffling the stack of papers in his hand.
"How am I being sensitive? Just because someone drinks poison for a consistent period of time doesn't mean the pain of being poisoned leaves. It's the same with the smoke; I can't just get used to it." Emris complained to Conan, wiping away the wetness of her lips with her sleeve.
"I'm not telling you to be rid of the suffocating feeling; I'm telling you that you have no reason to be dramatic over nothing. I'm aware that the body's natural responses will remain, but bearing them silently is possible." Conan sighed, his eyes fully immersed in the reading.
Convincing him is like trying to move an enormous boulder. I might as well just put the rest of my energy into advancing my common knowledge of the Empire into something more useful.
While scribbling the essential contents of the book, Emris felt an unexpected light knocking against the wooden leg of the chair.
"Huh? Conan?" Emris bent her head, shifting her gaze downward to see Conan with his back leaned up toward the back of the desk underneath. A quarter of his legs were sticking out as if being swallowed up whole by the desk.
"Pass me a lamp. It's getting harder to read. It's becoming irritating." He reached out his hand, expecting the object of light to be handed to him by Emris.
Pfft, since when did he scoot all the way down there? It's probably super uncomfortable down there since he's pretty tall.
Emris giggled, grabbing the purse she had left hanging in her chair by the strap and pulling out a crystal-like ball the size of her palm. Instead of handing it to his outstretched hand, Emris poked her head underneath the desk, her hair hanging down from the side while her eyes searched for Conan's. She gripped the corners of the desk, using her strength to keep her from toppling.
"What are you doing?" Conan let down the book, his back slumped and crookedly curved, watching Emris smile at him.
Emris moved her hand to the bottom of the desk, displaying the orb in front of Conan's eyes. "I'm giving you the light you asked for."
"That isn't what I asked for, though. It looks more like a plaything for children." Conan jokingly scoffed at the ball, mocking her with a dismissive look.
Emris smiled and shook the orb, casting an illuminating golden light similar to that of a beacon in a lighthouse. The darkness from the deepest crevice died out from the overpowering light that emanated from the orb.
Conan was amazed by the orb and glanced over to Emris as she kept her smile plastered on her face. "…What is this? Did you invent it?" Conan grasped the orb in his hand, valuing the light that came from it.
"Yeah, I made it. I thought it would be helpful for future situations. It's light and never runs out of light, so it's convenient, don't you think?" Emris parted away the hair strands that stuck to her face while explaining.
"Yes, but didn't the Duke forbid you from inventing by taking away your tools." He fidgeted with the ball while asking Emris, glancing back and forth between her and the orb.
"Well, I secretly bought new tools without his permission, b-but it's not like I'm doing anything dangerous; I'm just inventing." Emris sweated, feeling a bit of guilt poke at her stomach and conscience.
Rapid-fire goosebumps quaked her skin and body when the door unexpectedly clicked open. She flew upwards, her hair jerking away from Conan's view, sitting upright in her chair while brushing her fingers through her hair.
"My Lady, I've returned with your sandwich. I apologize if I startled you, but when I knocked, there was no answer. I hope I haven't disturbed you." Laurence apologized, serving Emris her four slices of sandwiches that were perfectly cut into the shapes of wide triangles.
"It's perfectly fine, Mr. Laurence. I must have been engrossed in my studies that I didn't hear your knock; please forgive me if I inconvenienced you in any way." Still, in shambles, Emris nervously smiled, furrowing the brows of her eyes.
"You owe me no apology, My Lady. If you don't mind, may I ask what it is that you've devoted all your time to the Empire's history for?" Laurence asked.
"I'm sure you know I was absent from society for a long while. During my absence, I also neglected my studies, so I'm using this opportunity to catch up on the studying I missed over the period of five years." Soft-spoken, Emris deliberately covered her writing on the separate sheet where she had written all her notes and important details.
"Pardon my intrusion then, My Lady. I will leave you to your studies; please don't hesitate to ring the bell if you need anything else."
Laurence left the room, and Emris took a breath, shuffling the papers she hid from him.
"Are you okay down there, Conan?" Emris asked, patting her chest and glancing off toward the side.
"Yes, it's alright, not shh, you'll interrupt my workflow." Conan shushed her and went back to his reading.
Emris brushed it off and focused her attention on the next book, with the cover titled 'Riphulon's History: Tragedies of History.'
Before the Empires, the Holy Lands of Iramiron were formed by the gods and eventually became the Holy Kingdom of Seria, where religion began, and all the scriptures and holy texts were held.
Unfortunately, the Holy Kingdom of Seria suffered a disastrous tsunami and was destroyed years later. The High Priest's one and only descendant survived and left the land through a magical portal with the last few who survived to begin the Empire of Riphulon. From the last few texts and scriptures he could salvage, he started the religion of Drinetity and built a temple to preach to his citizens.
Over the years, as Riphulon grew into a strong Empire, the Royal Family became tough people who were greedy and biased. They favored the nobles and neglected people experiencing poverty. Because of this, they did not have access to clean water and food, education for their children, or proper clothing. Often, they lived on the streets and begged for even a scrap of food or water.
The children were forced to work long hours in factories and mines, bringing much pollution into cities. All the while, the nobles lived prosperous lives, getting more than enough resources from the imports of other nations.
The Emperor had used the Imperial Sword to commit horrible acts, including running a trade ring of enslaved people and illegal monster battles. The Fallow Dutchy, known as the Imperial Sword for their excellent war tactics and swordsmanship, joined hands with the Anti-Imperial Group to usurp the throne. The Fallow House rebelled against the Imperial Throne despite their undying loyalty to the good of Riphulon.
The Fallow Duchy took charge, but the Imperial Family harbored dangerous monsters for illegal battle matches they would discreetly host and use to attack the Anti-Imperial Group. As expected, the Fallow House powered through, defeating the monsters, but the usurpation of the throne was interrupted when the destruction of Riphulon happened.
On the Founding Anniversary, Riphulon experienced a Supernatural earthquake that caused astronomically large cracks to form, destroying the towns and cities—the enormous crack formed in the Imperial Palace, swallowing it whole.
The Emperor, along with his corrupt children, had died in the earthquake. The only remaining member of the Imperial Family was the fifth prince, who maintained a good heart despite his family.
The Fallow House helped those in dangerous regions escape the destruction and led everyone to the boats, but then they witnessed the Empire rebuild itself right before their eyes. That's when they found the magic scroll and changed their ways.
Apart from the Imperial Family's divine power, magic did not exist in the Empire. However, magic began to take its route after the destruction; magicians and the appearance of magic became common.
The fifth prince then went back to see that the Empire was being rebuilt to its former glory and that there was no shadow of death through the cities and towns or the Imperial Palace. Entering the Palace, the prince came across a scroll stating that
"When the day comes that Riphulon reaches its darkest days, a deadly Quake shall shake the empire, marking the end for a new beginning and the Reformation of a once evil Empire beginning with the last remaining Royal with the heart of a valiant hero."
A riddle on the back of that scroll stated, "You saw me where I once was and where I could no longer be. And yet within that very place, my face you often see." The fifth prince ascended the throne and changed the Empire to a place equal to Nobles and the people. It took 50 years to grow Riphulon's strength again.
Once the fifth prince took the throne, the Fallow House and the fifth prince regained peace, and the Fallow House supported the fifth prince. They rebuilt the Empire in the religion's image and left corruption behind.
During those fifty years, the royal family tried to solve the riddle. Unfortunately, no one could solve the riddle, even when they tried to get the most intelligent people to solve it.
The scroll was then lost in the war between the Crucia Empire and Riphulon because the destruction in Riphulon was so strong it spread to the neighboring Empire. The Imperial Sword was sent to fight against the Crucia Army, bringing back victory after seven years. The war lasted seven years before a treaty between the two Empires was signed.
Magic had begun to improve the Empire, but it came with its downsides as now the Demon King of the Letalis Realm, Karnemar was able to pass down his black magic to people and gain followers to assist him in destroying the barriers of the Letalis Realm and the Human Realm.
He displays the same power as Isarae but is shackled by the barrier between the Letalis Realm and the Human Realm. To break free, he absorbs the energy from human sacrifice that his followers are willing to bring him because he promises them eternal power.
Once he obtains the power he needs to break the barrier, he wreaks havoc on the citizens of the Human Realm, creating vicious demonic monsters to kill as well as suck the magic from humans who possess it.
With his followers, he also placed curses on the citizens but mostly on Riphulon, as it was the place most endearing to Isarae. To prevent the possibility of returning, he split his life force into four crystals and assigned his followers to hide them within the Empire.
Isarae and other gods and goddesses used their magic to erode the crystals despite being hidden. At the same time, Isarae destroyed Karnemar's body and trapped his soul back behind the barriers of the Letalis Realm.
Years later, the crystals that eroded the land were captured and trapped in the Holy Lands, but Karnemar waits for his followers to retrieve the crystals and release him through the sacrifice of many humans so he may absorb their magic.
"…It doesn't make sense," Emris mumbled to herself, unbeknownst to her that Conan was looking over her shoulder.
"What doesn't?" Conan said, the breath from his words tickling Emris' ear, startling her.
"What the?! Since when did you come out from the table?" Conan straightened up his posture and crossed his arms, shaking his head from side to side.
"Looks like you have bad awareness of your surroundings. We'll have to work on that when we return to the Manor." His critique shocked Emris, whose heart was beating outside her chest from his scare. "Anyway, what is it that you were mumbling to yourself?"
Emris composed herself and handed him the book. Flipping through the pages with an analyzing look from his narrowed golden eyes, he leaned against the desk while Emris looked up at him from her seat.
"The Empire was destroyed and rebuilt with magic that had never existed before? Though this does seem very bizarre, that doesn't make it incomprehensible, so what exactly is it that you can't understand?" Conan crossed his legs while standing tall, contorting his face as he tried to understand Emris.
"What I don't understand is how easily the scroll was lost in the war. It's such a valuable magical document that contains the secret hiding place of the magic that rebuilt the Empire. It's said in the book that the magic was from the gods, and its source was what was holding up the Empire from its previous destruction." Emris shifted in her chair to lock Conan's eyes while swaying her hands as she brought up her elaborate theory.
"Since the Empire was rebuilt entirely on the god's magic and the source of that magic is what keeps it up, then the person who has the scroll might be able to find a way to reverse its effects, leading to destruction once again. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't let lose that scroll if it meant the end of the world if it fell into the wrong hands. What's even more puzzling is that there's no mention of why it was sent away in the first place." Emris explained, putting her jumbled thoughts into simple words for Conan to understand.
"From my understanding, it was sent to the Master of the Magic Tower for safekeeping as the temple still hadn't fully let out its hand to the Imperial Family for what they did, and unfortunately, the area of the Magic Tower was the first to be attacked when the war started," Conan stated, trying to poke holes into Emris' reasoning.
"Still, the Emperor had every opportunity to send one of its soldiers to retrieve it while the others were battling the Crucia Empire's soldiers. I'd say it's worth investigating, don't you think?" Emris counter-argued, refusing to back down from what she believed mattered to the progress of their investigation.
Emris bickered with Conan, feeling something off about the disappearance of the scroll. Conan's stance fell to Emris as he allowed his resolve to weaken and gave in to her crazy theories. Her eyes filled with the unwavering determination that could not be persuaded in any way.
Something deemed so important wouldn't have been lost without a fight, and if it had been sent to the Master of the Magic Tower, that would mean they were strong enough to protect it. I'm sure something is going on; I have to check it out!
"If you truly believe, then as your guardian and guide, I will assist you in any way I can." Conan caved, remembering the contents of his contract was only to protect Emris and guide her, but she refused his guidance, so there was nothing he could do.
"Great! Then let's go to an Information Guild somewhere here in the capital. I'll find one in the book when we get back, which reminds me we should leave now before the sun goes down, or else the Duke will worry." Emris held out her hands, ready to pick Conan up into her embrace, but her lips twitched a little at the thought of him shape-shifting again.
"You should relax. I'm going to be fine; it doesn't even hurt when I used to get seizures in my hometown." Conan's tone hinted at annoyance as he brushed his hair back with large hands that covered a vast part of his head.
The puff of smoke engulfed them, but Emris was prepared with a handkerchief pressed to her mouth. Her vision was a bit blurry, and one of her eyes became fogged up, but Emris still extended her hand to Conan, trying to reach him. She grabbed him and yanked him away from the center of the fog, holding him up with one arm.
Emris met him with a smile and a slight chuckle. She shoved the handkerchief back into her bag and found it the perfect opportunity to look for a book on shape-shifting disorders since Conan couldn't disapprove of his penguin form.
She scoured the shelves with him in hand, but he was confused about what she was doing and tugged on her dress to call for her. However, Emris ignored him when she found just the book she sought.
"That's it!" Her cheerful, starry eyes caught his attention and curiosity, but when he saw the book, his heart dropped as fast as a high-speed roller coaster. His expression soured, and he refused to move in her arms, frozen the entire time.
I won't be able to read it right now, so I'll smuggle it out of the Palace and bring it back next time. I'm sure they won't notice; this book has nothing to do with this world anyway.
She hid it inside her purse since it was small enough and got ready to go until she opened the door and was met with Laurence's face and raised fist about to knock on the door.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Laurence. I was on my way out. Is there something you need?" Emris smiled, hugging Conan close.
Laurence cleared his throat and faintly smiled, "Ahem…My lady, the Grand Emperor wishes to see you before you go."
***
The maids set down the tea set and poured the freshly brewed tea as its thick chestnut brown stream found its way into the cup while releasing warm, enticing steam. Stephen raised his tea and took a small sip, smacking his lips together after the sip.
"So, Ashton, what is the current situation with the parcel from the garden during the Black and White Ball?" Stephen's eyes crinkled in sync with his knitted brows, full of serious concern for Ashton.
Ashton paused momentarily, clenching his cup before setting it down and sighing indifferently. Mentioning the package weighed on his heart and mind, hardening his expression into icy detachment.
"Reinfrid told you only this morning; I didn't expect you to ask questions so soon, Father." Ashton's facial expression became heavy, his grip on the chair armrests becoming tighter. "…The parcel, the guards found it and alerted me."
Before the beginning of the ball…
The iridescent light peered through the drapes into Ashton's sleeping chambers. He stood there putting his coat on as he dressed for the ball. He was dressed in an all-black outfit with a black coat and a white sash that hung from his shoulder to his waist. The coat had all sorts of intricate embellishments and jewels. He wore long, dressy black pants and black shoes.
On top of that, he wore a long black cloak that reached the length behind his calf. Ashton gazed into the mirror indifferently as he prepared for the Black and White Ball. Out of the blue, the door bursts open with Reinfrid panting worryingly.
"What's going on Reinfrid?" Standing in the doorway, Reinfrid gasped for breath.
"My apologies, Your Majesty, for barging in like this, but there is a problem out in the garden you need to see for yourself," Reinfrid stressed his concern to Ashton, but Ashton only reacted with a sigh, thinking it was not going to be anything too bad.
"Alright, let's make this quick; the ball starts in a few minutes."
Ashton and Reinfrid began to make their way to the garden. When they finally reach the garden, many guards gather around and bow their heads to Ashton.
"What's the problem, Reinfrid?" Reinfrid grabbed a parcel from within the bushes.
"Your Majesty, we found this suspicious parcel In the bushes. We attempted to open it but found this note attached to the parcel." Ashton grabs the note from Reinfrid's grasp and reads it.
"A spell was cast onto this box, making it so only His Majesty had the ability to open it." Ashton grabs the parcel from Reinfrid; with a worried look, Reinfrid stops him from opening it.
"Your Majesty, open the box towards me instead. Who knows what lies in this box." Reinfrid hesitantly remarked, sweating at the idea of Ashton opening it.
"Relax, Reinfrid, I'll be fine." Ashton opened the top of the box to find a potion bottle and a note. He examined the potion bottle, opening it to involuntarily smell the scent of the potion immediately.
In an instant, Images of destruction and fiery bursts of explosions spread through the Empire of Riphulon as people screamed in horror, running from the collapsing buildings. Giant cracks appeared in the ground, killing thousands of citizens.
Ashton opened his eyes in shock at the images that went through his mind. He picked up the note, reading the message.
'The Empire of Riphulon will come crumbling down.'
Ashton read silently in his mind as he simmered with anger.
"Your Majesty!? Are you alright!? What's the matter?" Reinfrid questioned as he peeked over at Ashton anxiously.
"Reinfrid… put this in my office," Ashton ordered, handing the box to Reinfrid.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Reinfrid bowed, taking the box from Ashton and leaving the garden.
"Guard the garden; make sure no one comes out here," Ashton commanded adamantly as he left inside.
Ashton turned his fists into balls as he gritted his teeth, remembering the events of the ball. "I ordered for that vile package to be sent to the Temple to analyze its magic. I had all the knights who guarded the garden interrogated and decided to run a deeper investigation with the cooperation of the Temple." Ashton voiced in a monotone voice, his eyes kept straight.
"That does seem like the best way to procure more information, but are you sure the Temple will cooperate with you, Ashton? They aren't exactly fond of us." Stephen remarked, shifting away his eyes because of the poor relationship between the Temple and the Imperial Family.
"It doesn't matter whether they hate me or not; the oath of the goddess will force them to join hands with me." Ashton scoffed, not caring much about the people of the Temple's hatred for him, bringing up his cup of tea and gently blowing away the steam.
The oath of the Goddess is a pledge both the reigning Emperor and High Priest make to always keep the peace for the people of the Empire and to assist each other with conflicts regarding the Empire. Breaking it would mean death at the hands of the Goddess.
'Knock, Knock' Ashton's eyelids slid open, and the attention of both of them was brought to the person who'd arrived.
Laurence spoke from the other side, "Your Majesty, Lady Fallow has arrived."